Stand Inside your Love
by Arynn Octavia
Summary: Some people aren't meant to be together, but some people only THINK they're not meant to be together.  Slash, F/T . It's a rewriting of the series, so it's A/U. Also a songfic, see the A/N at the bottom for more info about this.


Even from miles away, Edward Cullen could hear the music as he drove his Audi down the forested mountain road. Despite his perplexed and slightly annoyed mood, he recognized the tune instantly. The song was _Frail and Bedazzled, _and though he hadn't listened to it in over a decade, he found himself singing along under his breath as his car flew over curves and dips in the road, heading toward the source of the music. The beat of the song setting a good cadence to compliment the speed at which Edward was driving.

Why he found himself on this particular road, he didn't know, but Alice being Alice, he knew he had better just do what she said rather than trying to argue with her.

It had started a couple of months ago, when Alice had had a vision, but refused to tell him what it was about; avoiding even thinking about it, so that he couldn't pull the thoughts from her mind. She had likewise refused to tell any of the others what it was about either, so Edward was left in the dark. But from the looks she had been none-too surreptitiously shooting him since the vision had happened, Edward knew that it had something to do with him.

Then yesterday, he had started his car, and found it making the most peculiar rattling noises. Alice had immediately told him that he must bring the car to Qahla Motors to get it fixed. After his suggestion that he should have Rosalie take a look at it himself first, Alice had insisted he bring it in. He also wondered why she so adamantly insisted he bring his car to Qahla Motors, which was way out on La Push Road, close to the border of the Quileute Reservation, when larger auto shops in Forks itself would be far more likely to have knowledge of, and experience with, German cars.

But Alice was Alice, and there was nothing anybody could do about it, which is why Edward found himself speeding down La Push Road, going out of his way to bring his car to a mechanic. His only solace was the song on the wind, which was getting louder as his car made its way west.

Finally, Qahla Motors came into view. It was a tiny shop, with a small office, an even smaller storefront, and a garage with room enough for only two cars. The music Edward had been hearing was coming from within the garage itself.

He parked on the side of the building with the entrance to the storefront and office, and entered. The building would have seemed deserted, but for the music blasting from behind a door marked "Employees Only" that lead to the garage. Of course, Edward could tell that there was someone else there, he could smell a distinctly human scent, and could hear the thoughts of a young man, sometimes thinking along to the music, and sometimes thinking about whatever car part he was working on.

Edward rang the bell on the desk, but the mechanic obviously couldn't hear it over the music. He decided to head back outside and around opposite to where he parked, checking to see if the main garage door was open.

As he rounded the corner he saw a figure bent over the open engine of a car, his back to Edward. The figure was wearing black slacks with a dark red bandana hanging out the back pocket, black work boots, and nothing else. He had flawless caramel skin stretched over a highly muscled back, and short black hair on his head. Edward stalled, taken aback at the sight before him. The mechanic was using a ratchet wrench on something in the engine block, his biceps flexing rhythmically as he pumped the tool. Edward stood transfixed, watching the man's arm and back muscles coil and slide under his skin as he worked. Inexplicably, Edward felt a similar coiling in his gut.

Finally, the figure stood upright, and circled around to the side of the car. He seemed to be around six feet tall, and his front was as muscled as his back. The definition on his chest and abs implied years of devotion at the gym, though his youthful face revealed him to clearly be a teenager no more than 16 or 17. His black deep-set eyes twinkled above high cheek bones, full lips set perfectly in a chiseled jaw line, which was currently clenched in concentration.

He bent and reached into the driver's side window, trying the ignition, smiling a brilliant smile to himself when it turned over and began to purr, his full lips curling into a beaming smile around his pearly white teeth. He turned the car back off and stood upright again as the song died. At the appearance of that smile, Edward felt the coil in his gut tighten.

Edward cleared his throat to make his presence known.

* * *

><p>As Jacob Black got ready to go to work at Qahla Motors, the site of his summer job, he heard his father on the phone to Charlie Swan, the chief of police over in Forks. His father was complaining about the Cullens, something he had been doing a lot of since they had moved to the area about three years ago. He didn't know why his father hated the Cullens so much, but he had his guesses.<p>

The Cullens were well known around Forks for being a lavishly wealthy family. Dr. Cullen, the patriarch of the family, had bought a large long-vacant house just to the east of Forks. His foster children, all teenagers, drove expensive cars, wore expensive clothes, and generally didn't mingle with the other people around Forks. Though Jacob had never met any of the Cullens, it was obvious by the way people talked about them that they were rich snobs. For a man who had grown up in near-poverty on an Indian reservation, it was understandable that his father would resent people like the Cullens. None of the Cullen kids had to work summer jobs to help make ends meet for their family, a luxury Jacob Black didn't share.

Unlike his father, though, Jacob wasn't bitter. He enjoyed working on cars, and considered himself lucky that he was actually getting paid to do so. And he took the stories of the people of Forks with a grain of salt. Forks was a relatively small town, and like many small towns, it was occasionally hard to get the locals to accept you when you were an outsider. Even Jacob, who spent his whole life only miles away on the reservation, was sometimes treated like an outsider by the people in Forks. He imagined that the Cullens, being new to the area, would receive the similar treatment.

He made his way to Qahla Motors to begin his work day. He had started working there at the end of his sophomore year, only three months ago, but already his hard work and knowledge had earned him a certain amount of trust from his boss. Most of the summer he had been allowed to come in during off-hours to work on his own projects, and his boss even trusted him enough to open and close the shop himself, which he was doing that morning. His boss would not be in until after noon. He drove to work, unlocked the doors, turned on all the lights, and immediately made his way to the garage, putting his stereo on shuffle, and getting to work.

He worked most of the morning in peace, until a throat clearing behind him made him jump unexpectedly. He looked over and saw a stunningly beautiful man standing just inside the big door to the garage. He was about the same height as Jacob, but of a somewhat slighter build. He had pale, milky skin and a mess of copper hair on top of his head. His perfect bow of dark pink lips, as if he often bit them, stood out all the more against his pure ivory skin. His perfect features seemed more like they belonged carved into ancient marbles of Greek gods, rather than on the face of someone who wouldn't be found dead anywhere near Forks, WA. This effect was only exacerbated by his golden-hued eyes, which, when taken in conjunction with his copper hair, ivory skin, and ruby lips, made him look like a delectable work of art carved out of precious metals and stones. He was well dressed in a blue short-sleeved button down, well-tailored jeans, and brown leather casual shoes that still looked too nice to tread upon the floor of the garage. Despite his stunning visage, he appeared to be around the same age as Jacob.

After he had jumped, the man in the doorway had chuckled, grinning a lop-sided grin that in no way subtracted from his breathtaking looks. In fact, it caused a swoop to fly through Jacob's gut. They locked eyes for a minute, until Jacob recovered enough from the arrival of this man, and his subsequent startling, to begin thinking again.

"I'll be with you in a moment." He smiled at the other man and he made his way to the stereo to turn it off. He got a smile in return.

After turning off the music, he made his way into the washroom at the back of the garage, scrubbing his hands clean and giving himself a quick look in the mirror, ensuring he had no grease on his face, and that his hair looked okay. On his way back out, he opened one of a series of lockers on the wall, pulling out a clean white t-shirt that was form fitting enough on his torso that his musculature was still evident beneath it. He pulled it on, noticing after he did so that the man by the door had been watching his every move with rapt attention. When their eyes met again, and the man was the first to look away, turning to take in the surroundings in the garage.

Jacob moved forward with his hand outstretched. "Hello, I'm Jacob Black, how may I help you?"

Edward looked down at his offered hand, but did not move to shake it. His family made it a habit to avoid physical contact with people; it was crucial when your skin was perpetually room temperature. They often wore leather gloves for such a time as this, but Edward wasn't wearing any that day. Instead he put his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, trying to ignore the thoughts that went through the mind of the other man—Jacob—at his refusal to shake hands. They were mostly the same assumptions the Cullens always got. '_Snob? Germ freak? Maybe he has a cold?'_ Only this time joined by the handsome man looking down at his own hands, wondering if he had missed some engine filth while washing. This made Edward smile.

"Edward Cullen," He introduced himself. "Ah, my car is making a weird noise."

Once he had said his name, he noticed Jacob giving him a quick look up and down thinking '_Ah, a Cullen, standoffish. Just like everyone says. Funny they never mentioned how beautiful they are.'_ "A weird noise, huh?"

Jacob thought the thoughts at the same time as he spoke, and Edward found himself wondering if he had heard the man right.

"Uh, yeah. Came out of nowhere. Just started it this morning and…" Edward pushed the button on the remote attached to his keys, and the car started where it was parked on the other side of the building. Since the building was small and the big garaged door wide open, the noises could easily be heard from where they stood, even by Jacob's human ears.

'_Is that an Audi R8 GT Spyder-' _Jacob thought to himself as he began making his way around to the other side of the building. Edward found himself impressed that the man could tell cars just by their engine sounds, and followed him around.

"Nice!" Jacob said as the car came into view, stopping in his tracks to admire it. Edward stopped just behind the other man, taking a deep breath through his nose and inhaling his scent. He smelled of forest moss, oil, and sweat, and Edward couldn't help but thinking that the combination was surprisingly pleasant.

"So what do you think?" he asked, his mouth close to the other man's ear. Jacob jumped again, spinning around and taking a step back at Edward's close proximity. He hadn't even heard the other man following him around the store.

"Um, ah…Does the sound go away as you accelerate?"

"No, in fact it gets worse, when turning and driving over bumps as well."

"Mind popping your hood for me?"

Edward moved to comply, smiling to himself at how such a seemingly innocent request could sound so decidedly not-innocent, especially spoken in Jacob's naturally husky voice.

Edward popped the hood, and Jacob bent down, turning an ear toward the engine to listen more closely. Edward again moved to stand close to the mechanic. He found his urge to do this odd, as he usually made it a point to keep his distance from humans.

"I'll have to take a look at it, but there is one more car in line ahead of yours. I wouldn't suggest driving it; I don't know if this sound could cause more damage. Would you be able to leave it here for the afternoon? We have an old Geo Metro that you could use as a loaner, in the meantime."

"I can leave it with you, but the Geo Metro won't be necessary." He smiled again at the other man, who lead him into the store front and gave him a clipboard with papers to fill out.

After he had filled out the paperwork he brought it back to the mechanic, who promised to call later that afternoon with the verdict.

Edward made his way toward the front of the store, aware that the other man was still watching him through the store windows. He took out his phone, pretending to call for a ride. He waited until he heard the other man enter the garage, which contained no windows facing toward the front, before running home.

* * *

><p>Jacob worked the rest of the morning on a car that needed a new camshaft, before letting his boss take over when he got in. The job could take all day, and Jacob was eager to get his hands on the Audi. He popped the hood and reached down, running his fingers almost lovingly over the curves and crevices of the engine, enjoying his rare opportunity to revel in German engineering.<p>

He turned the car on, making his way back toward the engine block. He leaned down again, trying to determine the source of the noise. He had never encountered a noise like this before, and he felt thrown off.

Finally, upon leaning lower, he thought he might have pinpointed the source of the noise, which was odd, since there should be no noise coming from that part. He cut the engine and, grabbing a wrench from his back pocket, opened the part, looking inside.

"What the hell?" He asked himself, perplexed.

When Jacob called to say the repair was done, Edward asked Rosalie and Emmett to drive him back to the garage on their way out on a date. When they pulled up to the shop, Jacob was standing outside by Edward's car, still looking under the hood. Emmett pulled his Jeep along his "brother's" car, allowing Edward to hop out. He had made sure to bring gloves this time, and made it a point to reach out for Jacob's hand as soon as his feet landed on the ground. Jacob found himself surprised at this. After greeting Jacob, he had pivoted toward the Jeep.

"These are my brother and sister, Emmett and Rosalie. This is Jacob Black, who was working on my car."

Jacob leaned across to offer his hand to Rosalie, who was sitting in the passenger seat, and Edward took the opportunity of Jacob's proximity to enjoy the man's scent again. Rosalie looked down at the offered hand, not even bothering to hide the disinterest in her face. "Why are you introducing us to the mechanic?" She asked Edward, oblivious or perhaps indifferent to her adoptive brother's disappointment at her response.

Emmett, on the other hand, had noticed Edward breathing in the other man's scent, and his eyes narrowed at his brother, before he hitched a smile on his face and leaned over his mate to shake the mechanic's hand. "Nice to meet you." He then locked his eyes on his brother, the smile still wide on his face. Knowing Edward could hear what he was thinking, he reveled in the look of panic that shot across his brother's face, before he said, "Well, we're off," and peeled out of the lot in front of the garage.

It seemed to take Edward a moment to recover from his siblings' fast departure. He was looking down at the ground, seeming in shock, before his eyes slowly made their way back up to Jacob's face.

"Um, you alright?" The younger man asked, somewhat perplexed by the Cullen family dynamic.

"Yes..," Edward hesitated, before finally coming to. "Um, yes, I'm fine. So what was the problem with the car?"

"Oh! Well the sound was coming from your intake manifold plenum." He reached down, stroking his hand gently over the part in question. Edward followed the movement of his hand with his eyes, before sliding his gaze back up Jacob's muscular arm, to his face. "I opened it up, and this is what I found."

He handed Edward a Tupperware bowl full of large nuts and bolts. Edward clearly heard the word 'vandalism' on the young mechanic's mind.

"The plenum is pretty well sealed, and there should have been no way for objects this big to get inside. Also, your car isn't missing any parts, and some of these ones," he indicated the pieces sitting in the bowl, "don't have any place in a car."

"Someone put them there?" Edward asked the man.

"That's the only way I can figure they got there. I did a visual inspection on the rest of the engine to see if there was any more tampering. There's no evidence of it that I can see."

"Was there much damage?"

"No. It almost seems like someone knew the best way to cause car troubles without really causing car troubles."

At this, Edward's mind immediately flashed to his siblings, knowing at least one of them was behind this.

"How much do I owe you?"

* * *

><p>Later that night, as Jacob lay in bed waiting for sleep, he thought back on his day. Having finally met some of the Cullens, Jacob began to see why so many people disliked them. That Rosalie girl seemed a right bitch, and Jacob couldn't help but feel that Edward and Emmett were somehow sharing a private joke as his expense when he shook Emmett's hand. He assumed it had to do with his being a blue-collar worker. They were certainly all beautiful, though. You didn't often see people that attractive outside of airbrushed magazines. But somehow, Edward stuck out in Jacob's mind. There was just something about that man that made Jacob's body come alive.<p>

Jacob had come to terms with his sexual attracting to men a few years ago, though he had never told anyone. What bothered him about his attraction to Edward Cullen wasn't that it existed, the man was objectively beautiful. What bothered Jacob about it was the strength of it. He had seen attractive men before, but their presence had never stuck in his mind like that of the current subject of his thoughts.

What was going on?

TBC

A/N: Songfics can be pretty hit or miss, but I had to do one*. Although as you will see, I'm doing it in a subtle way, so that if a reader isn't into the music I am choosing, it won't hinder his or her enjoyment of the fic.

This fic is inspired by the music of the Smashing Pumpkins. Every chapter title (and the title of the fic itself) will be a Pumpkins song that I think somehow fits the mood of that chapter. If you're curious or intrigued about why I chose a song to represent a chapter, you can either look up the lyrics, or listen to the song (I suggest both, actually). But if you chose not to, you'll not be missing out on anything (except awesome music, and perhaps a little glimpse into my psyche while writing that particular chapter) because the fic really stands alone. For the most part, chapter titles will be the only way the songs relate to the fic.

This first chapter is a rare exception, since in this one the song is actually being listened to by the characters. In this case I didn't chose it because it fit the chapter mood so much as I wanted to choose a rockin' song that I could see Jacob blasting while working on a car.

*Why am I doing this, you ask?

Well, The Smashing Pumpkins are my absolute favorite band, ever. Their music is uncommonly beautiful, emotional, dynamic, and diverse. It also just so happens that I find Billy Corgan (the frontman of the band) to be the absolutely sexiest man alive. It is the emotionality and diversity of their music that lends itself to this project.

A/N 2: I chose Stand Inside you Love for the title of the fic because it somehow makes me think of Edward and Jacob. I suggest looking up the lyrics so you can maybe see where I'm coming from in that thought. If you haven't heard the song, I also suggest looking for it. There are plenty of copies available to listen to for free, such as on YouTube. It really is beautiful, and somehow fitting of these two men.


End file.
